Good Morning
by Nanomemes
Summary: Chizuru calls Iori at 5 AM. He's not happy. [Complete]
1. Slippery Rocks

_lol. I don't wanna study._

* * *

The floor hummed.

Cold air flowed from the vents in the carpet.

It was early in the morning. The sun hadn't yet illuminated the sky. It cast a faint glow through the cold evening mist.

An owl hooted.

A car started outside. The exhaust note was familiar.

A dog barked as the car drove off.

Then all was quiet.

But not in his head.

There was a madhouse in his head.

Iori Yagami was writhing in his sheets. He heard inaudible sounds. He saw invisible sceptres. He felt the touch of things that weren't there. He was in the midst of battle... All on his own. A battle with himself.

 _Riot!... This early?! Fuck!_

 _GWOOOOAAAAAHHH! HAHAHAHA!_

Rage flooded into his head. Not his rage. Foreign emotions. They were playing with him. Toying with him. Twisting this way and that. Seeing where he would break, seeing when he would crack. He felt his chest burning. His teeth chattered involuntarily. His lips pulled back into an awful smile. He hated everything in the world. He wanted to watch it burn, watch it crumble to ash. He wanted to laugh over corpses… No… a particular corpse… yeah… just one… _just one…_

 _You can't fight me Yasakani… You can't fight this… you made a deal!... you're mine! You're mine!_

 _Fuck off!_

Orochi laughed. Then fear struck him. An unnatural, compelling fear. He gasped as it shot adrenaline into his brain. He wanted to run. He wanted to hide. But there was nowhere to run to… there was no escaping this. It was endure or die… _hold on… hold on… shit… come on man…_

 _Give in… give in and I'll make your pain disappear… Come now, Yasakani… come now…_

His clutched his pillow and curled up around it. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, he listened to it accelerate. 76... _84… 87… 94…_ He counted the rate until his mind clouded. He couldn't think anymore. He stared straight ahead at the mirror on his closet door. It was far too dark to see. He watched his silhouette tremble. He listened to his teeth chattering. A guttural laugh escaped from his throat.

 _Damn it! Leave... me alone!...…_

A dull ache was forming at the base of his skull. The pressure was building, higher and higher and higher. They were ripping at him. They were trying to crush him - extinguish him. He felt them scraping away at the inside of his skull… sharp, like needles, like claws. Like some horrible parasite trying to tear it's way out.

 _Fuck! … fuck…_

It was getting worse and worse. Beads of cold sweat broke against his skin. Riot howled inside his head. Orochi laughed and continued talking. Iori couldn't do anything. He never could. He did what he always did. Just squeeze his eyes shut, clench his teeth, and brace himself for what came next.

 _KAKAKAKA-KA-KA!_

 _Give in! GIVE IN! You're mine Yasakani!_

Rage and fear were swallowed by pain.

Pure agony.

He convulsed and screamed into his pillow as it wracked through him. The muffled noise bounded off the walls. It didn't matter. He couldn't hear it. His hearing was long gone. His eyes were darkening, but he caught a flash of bared teeth in the mirror. He knew he was smiling… Riot was smiling- that horrible crazed grin. Tears streamed across his face.

 _Hold… hold on… ugh…_

It was like a wave. No… a tsunami. It was impossibly powerful. He was clinging to a slippery rock in the midst of that raging storm. Was he slipping? Was it worse than usual? He could never tell. It seemed worse and worse each time…

 _GWAHAHAHAHA! KI- KI- KING!_

 _Hold on… just..._

 _Hold … on…_

 _Hold…_

* * *

 _Orochi's a dik_

 _u can do it bby_


	2. The Idiots

_lol 500 word chapters... stop judging_

* * *

It was raining.

Chizuru Kagura was heading home.

She sighed and watched the city lights stream past the window of her limousine. The neon shop-signs distorted in the rain which flowed in streams down the glass. It had been a long day. Back-to-back meetings without a moment of rest. She was strong woman, but today had worn her down to the bone. She wanted nothing more than a glass of wine, and, perhaps… Debussy?

 _Debussy would be nice… maybe even Wagner._

The maid would've put her son to sleep already. She couldn't afford the time to run a company and also manage a child. She felt badly about it, but he was currently too young to tell the difference… at least Chizuru hoped so. Anyways… the husband had been spending a lot of time with their son lately, so the child wasn't being _neglected_.

 _He's in Singapore right now… I wonder if he closed the deal. Should I call him?_

The businesswoman sat up in her seat and retrieved her phone from her handbag. She brushed a strand of long black hair from her face as she opened her contact list. The white-blue light illuminated her delicate features.

 _What time is it in Singap-... Hm?… what was that?_

She frowned. Something like a flash had gone off in her head.

 _The Mirror?_

The Yata Mirror. It made her something of a medium… a prophetess even. It offered her a sort of sixth-sense. She could peek into a person's mind - catch a glimpse of their thoughts. She knew if somebody was lying to her. She could manipulate people. Plant ideas, enforce them… things of that sort. It had proven an invaluable tool in business negotiation.

 _But that's not what it's for…_

Despite all the benefits it offered her, the purpose of the mirror was none of those things. It's purpose was to seal Orochi - and keep him sealed. As a result, it kept tabs on the other two treasures all on it's own. Chizuru Kagura's fate was tied inexplicably with the two nutjobs who held the Kusanagi Sword and the Yasakani Jewel.

 _Idiots… haah… did one of them finally kill the other?... not likely… I bet Iori is just really drunk… but… I guess I should call… just in case._

Chizuru grumbed briefly to herself before finding Kyo in her phonebook. She waited patiently for him to pick up. She watched the neon lights flow past her window.

 _*Brrr-Click*_

* _Kagura?... It's late… What's-_ *

"Did you kill Yagami?"

* _Huh?... uh no. I haven't been down to SouthTown in a while. Why?_ *

"Nothing… did he change his number?"

 _*no?*_

"Thanks Kusanagi."

 _*... no problem… I guess.*_

She hung up and dialed Iori, rolling her eyes as she did so. Chances were, he wouldn't pick up. If he did, he would probably just yell at her for bothering him. Chizuru had known Iori Yagami for about three years. In that entire time, she didn't remember holding a single productive conversation with him. _Why do I even try…_

She listened to the ringing. Half-hoping he didn't pick up.

*Brrrrr*

*Brrrrr*

*Brrrrr*

*Brrrrr*

*Brrr- click*

 _Dammit. On the last ring too…_

Chizuru sighed, and moved the phone away from her ear. The first time she called him, he had nearly ruptured her eardrum. It was amazing how loud he was. She mentally prepared herself for incoherent, drunken ranting.

But there was only silence over the phone.

 _Hm?_

"Yagami?"

Silence. Not a peep. Chizuru frowned.

"Yagami? Are you there?"

She gingerly placed the receiver against her ear. There was a strange noise, but she couldn't identify it. _Choking?_ She was getting worried.

 _*K-kagura?*_

His voice was soft and raspy.

"Yagami, are you alright? What happen-"

* _Kagura… I think… I think I'm gonna kill myself._ *

She realized the strange noise was Iori quietly sobbing into the phone.

* * *

 _fking do it fam._

 _I DID say he wasn't happy in the summary. kek u can't say I lied_


	3. The Guy with the Stupid Hair

_look at this poor yag. :(_

* * *

The worst was over?

Maybe? It was so bad. So, so bad. It wasn't getting any better.

It felt like his intestines had exploded. Maybe they had. Blood and spit leaked from the corner of his mouth and stained his sheets. His head was pounding worse than any hangover. The scratching in his skull was still going. How long has it been?

 _Ten… fifteen?... I can't…_

He lay limply in bed, drenched in sweat. He was gripping the sheets as if his life depended on it. He had torn his pillow in half. Feathers dusted the room.

 _I'm fucking done… I'm done… This is too much… Fuck this._

The Blood Riot.

It was winning. Orochi was prying him apart, splitting his skull open. He fought desperately to keep hold on himself. They wanted to take over. They wanted to drive him out of his own body. He struggled and struggled… It was routine, but it never got any easier.

Normally, they didn't hit him so hard. Most days Riot was an annoyance. Like a perpetual, unkillable mosquito which whizzed about his head and stung him every chance it got. Oh, but sometimes they tried to destroy him.

Today were trying to destroy him.

 _...They're gonna win._

The sun had risen higher. Stripes of dim light crept through the blinds. He stared at the phone that lay next to his head. His breath was catching in his throat. He couldn't talk. Not yet... Why did he even pick up? Nobody could do anything for him, and especially not anyone over the phone.

 _*Yagami?*_

 _I'm finished… What's the point… ugh… fuck…_

Another pang wracked through him. He pressed his face into the mattress and groaned. He realized he was weeping… _just crying… like a fucking toddler…_

 _*Yagami, are you there?*_

Who was that? He recognized the voice… Chizuru? He forced an eye open to check the caller ID.

"K-kagura? Wha-... urk… "

He coughed something out, then watched grimly as the sheets slowly stained with blood. He was in no shape to talk, much less snark at her.

 _If I'm gonna lose… no… I won't let them win… I'll never let them have me… I'll take them down with me… I'll drag them to hell…_

 _*Yagami, are you alright? What happened,*_

He could barely understand her. His hearing was coming back, but slowly. There was rushing in his ears. He rasped into the receiver. His throat stung. It tasted like iron.

"Kagura… I think… I'm … gonna kill myself."

 _*Huh?*_

He wasn't sure if he was thinking straight. It scared him, but the madhouse in his head was becoming more and more chaotic. He was struggling to keep it at bay. He was slipping… slipping away… down into the depths.

 _*What?! Wait. Wait! Yagami! Calm down okay? Just tell me where you are.*_

What happened if he just let go? Could he fight his way back? Should he risk it?... it hurt so badly. If Kusanagi was here, he'd just let loose and let _him_ deal with Riot. But there was nobody around. If he slipped now, he would massacre his neighborhood. Then he'd be shot.

 _Should I do it?... end it?... is there another way?_

Who was next in line? He had a step-brother back in Japan. His family had always treated him well enough. They wanted him to stay alive as long as possible. When he died, the curse would pass to the next unlucky heir. They wanted to minimize their losses. It was pure economics… nothing wrong with that…

 _That kid, right? With the stupid hair... yeah, I remember him… I wonder if he can handle this... Damn I feel bad… He's a nice kid…_

 _*Yagami? Where are you? Are you in Florida? Do you need an ambulance? Is it… is it the Blood Riot?*_

He didn't answer. He wasn't listening. Riot had begun gurgling loudly in his ears. Orochi was talking nonsense. His mind wandered in a haze. He stared listlessly at the glow of his cellphone. He placed a thumb against his throat.

… _I should have bought that life Insurance policy… I should give Yamazaki a call before I do it… do I have time?... He can work something out for me… otherwise… the taxes…_

* _Yaga- Iori! Please! Please, listen to me! Are you at home? Tell me!_ *

Iori started at his name.

 _Why does she want to know… is she gonna call an ambulance? No… I'll kill people…_

"D-don't fucking call anyone!"

 _*I won't. I promise. I won't. I'll come to where you are, okay? You're home, right?*_

His teeth chattered as he laughed. It burned his throat and hurt his lungs, but he kept right on. Nobody could help him… well maybe if Kusanagi roasted him… but that guy wasn't around, and Iori would never ask him for help.

 _*Iori?*_

Even if she showed up on his doorstep, what could she do. She had no flames… wait… could the mirror do something? Whatever. Chizuru was in Japan. He was in Florida. It wasn't going to work. Maybe she wanted to attend his funeral. It'd probably be in the news anyways. _Why would she want to attend my funeral… I thought she hated me…_

"Hahaha… (coughing). Thanks Kagura… It's a flight… don't bother…"

 _*Don't do anything until I get there.*_

"... What? How ar-"

 _*Promise me. Don't do a thing! I need ten minutes.*_

"Aren't y-..." Another coughing fit. "-Japan?"

" _Ten minu- Five okay? Give me five. Fight for five more minutes. Can you do that? Please!"_

He gritted his teeth and pulled his hand away from his throat. Why the hell not. Those suicide prevention ads always asked people to wait ten minutes before doing it… right? He could fight a bit longer… at least he could try. He glanced at the time. _5:12._

"Alright. Five."

He squeezed his eyes shut.

 _Five minutes… come on fuckers… do your worst._

He heard raucous laughing.

 _Then I'll be the one to finish it._

* * *

 _boi u got problems_

 _If u don't read my other stuff, There R 2 guys living in Yag's head. Orochi (who shows up occasionally) and the Blood Riot, who's always there pissing mai boi off. They usually work together to try and perform coup d'etat, except normally if you fail a gov't overthrow, u get your head chopped off. Yag can't chop off the heads of his imaginary friends (lol) so they try it every so often. Understandably, Yag ain't too happy._


	4. Devilmom

_Chizuru Kagura almost went full Dio Brando._

 _O.o_

* * *

"Hit the Gas! Go!"

"Uh, Madame Kagura-"

"If I'm not home in four minutes, I will personally buy out your house and dump your family in the streets. Go!"

"W-wait! I… okay. Okay!"

Chizuru was panicking.

Her assets were being stolen from her.

She had spent an enormous amount of time, energy, and money on them. The 1997 Tournament, the NESTS Fiasco… all was about to go to waste… Years of hard work, all down the drain because Iori Yagami's stomach ache hurt too much.

 _You little brat!... shit._

He was uncooperative, but in general, he accomplished the goals set before him. He was strong too- this generation of treasures was strong enough that they'd always win against Orochi. It was an enormous blessing for Chizuru, as there was no need for her to fight personally. However, she still needed to manage the two loose cannons.

They had calmed down a bit after the NESTS' incident. Kyo was ready and willing to help, but tended to ask a lot of questions. Iori didn't ask any questions, but only vaguely follow instructions. If he were an employee, Chizuru would have fired him a long time ago.

 _Okay… focus._

Chizuru closed her eyes and concentrated. She was taking a risk. If Iori fell under the Riot before she got there, she might die. She was not as strong as he was. He could cut her down in a moment. She needed to trust that he could hold on for a bit longer… _then I can seal Orochi away… that'd work right? I've never dealt with the Blood Riot before…_

In previous occasion, Kusanagi's flames had managed to snap Iori out of his crazed state. It usually involved quite a beating as well. The flames were effective, but generally put both idiots in the hospital afterwards.

 _There's no way I can fight him… no… the mirror can't seal Orochi unless he's weakened… how strong is Orochi during the Riot? It's not a full awakening… not like Chris… right?_

Doubts flew through her head as the streets zipped past. She checked her clock. Two minutes had passed. She leaned forward and snarled into her driver's ear. He jumped and pressed the accelerator against the floor.

She wasn't going without precautions. No way. She'd fetch her entire box of miscellaneous talismans before she went. Most of them were useless trinkets the Yata family had collected over the years, but some had power. Chizuru needed to ensure her own life before protecting some idiot who couldn't deal with his period cramps.

 _Yagami, you nuisance…_

Was he serious about killing himself? He was insane and being driven mad by the voices in his head… it was very possible he'd do it. What if she arrived to find him bleeding out on the floor? Gah… who was next in line?… she would need to retrieve the Jewel and bring it to … he had some step cousins around, right?

 _They're all weak though… weak! Weak and useless! Dammit Yagami! I need you alive!_

Three minutes in and they were caught in a traffic jam. The driver was sweating bullets. Chizuru was getting angrier and angrier. She caught sight of her reflection in the rear-view mirror. She was wearing the face of a demon.

 _Shit… shit… I need to go. I need to go now._

How long did it take to prepare a teleportation? A minute? Two? Chizuru grimaced. She hated teleporting. She would rather sit on a plane for 16 hours than use her mirror. It was the worst feeling in the world, as if her whole body disintegrated and reformed in some other place. It also scared her quite badly.

 _Yagami… you better not kill yourself… If I go through the trouble of getting there and find you dead… ohhh…_

Four minutes.

Chizuru emitted a low hiss.

The driver gripped his steering wheel as if he life depended on it.

"I'm going."

"Ma-madame?!"

"I want to be picked up at my house, tomorrow morning. Same time… but _not you._ I never want to see you again. Understood?"

"Y-yes."

"Everything that happened here… nobody finds out. Destroy your tapes. Destroy your audio. If you don't your life will be hell."

"Ple-."

"Goodbye."

And she was gone.

* * *

 _Chiz is the best mom._


	5. Freeze! Illuminati!

_lol finally._

* * *

Iori Yagami had lost track of time.

His mind floated in a haze.

The pain wasn't numbing, it was as sharp and fresh as when it first began. It threatened to consume him, but he was holding on by the tips of his fingers. He was fighting to keep hold of himself. Clinging to his sanity… that rock on the stormfront.

And what a storm it was.

 _I'm drowning. I'm finished._

His breath was becoming shallower and shallower. Was he being affected by the imagery? He wasn't sure, but it _felt_ like there was liquid pooling in his lungs. His head pounded incessantly. There was screaming in his ears. Inaudible screaming. They laughed at him. They were assured of their victory. Today, the King was fallen.

"Yagami?!"

Defeated. Defeat. An awful, awful feeling… and not even beaten by a real person. He was being defeated by himself. Where was he? Ah. On the floor. He'd dragged the blankets with him. Had he fallen off the bed? _Didn't even notice…_

"Yagami!... oh! Oh!"

He was probably crying again. Yeah. His face was all wet. He felt liquid trickling down across his eyes. There was vibration in his throat. Was he screaming? He couldn't hear a thing.

 _Give in Yasakani... Hurry! Hurry!_

Orochi… was five minutes up yet? He was allowed to go after five minutes… he could rest after five minutes. He wanted to slip down into that dark sea of madness and sleep. Just sleep. There was nothing else he wanted to do. He had fought this battle for so long. Every day he clashed with them. Today… today was the last day. He'd finish it, then he could rest.

 _Hurry!_

 _Why're you in such a rush for? Has it been five? We're all waiting for five … I'll finish it… after… fi-...ve…_

 _HURRY! HUR-_

A strange feeling.

It broke over him like a wave.

A shocking cold wave… cold, like ice. For a moment, there was nothing but that biting, chilling cold. He was shivering. Trembling. _Frostbite… ah… ah…_

It numbed everything. The pain was muted. Everything went quiet. Everything turned white. A profound, frigid silence. It was sweeter than honey. It was smoother than silk. It was cool and imperial, like marble. Lovely, that cold wave… _like snow. Like ice. A beautiful icy mountain…_

He felt his limbs moving. He was being lifted up. He hung heavily. The pounding in his head was growing weaker, the pain was frozen in his veins. Something soft was pressed up against him. He instinctively curled around it. There was a pressure on the bridge of his nose.

He wanted to stay on that icy mountain forever… but it was fading. The chill was receding.

 _Come back! Please. Come back…_

It subsided. It left him.

But when it did. They were gone. Those demons… they were gone. They took their fear, their rage, and their pain with them. He was alone. His was his own again. That cold… it had rescued him. It calmed the storm. That horrible, terrifying storm. It was gone. He could see daybreak. Soft, gentle rays of hope.

 _It's over?_

There was silence all around. Sweet, beautiful silence.

It was over.

He sobbed in relief.

He lay there and wept.

And he didn't stop.

"Yagami?"

A soft voice… His hearing had come back?

"Iori, are you alright?"

Something was running through his hair. Something was wiping his cheek. Something else supported his head. He emitted a low groan and opened his eyes. He stared into dark fabric.

"Don't cry. It's over."

He looked up. A familiar face looked down. He recognized... _wait... how?_

"Ka-kagura?"

Chizuru Kagura.

He was laying across Chizuru Kagura's lap. He had pushed his face up against her hipbone and was ruining her clothes. She had lifted him back into bed and was sitting on the edge of it, cradling his head in her lap. He just stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost.

After a moment, he closed his eyes and rasped softly.

"I'm not crying."

She smiled and wiped the tears off his face.

"Of course not."

* * *

 _aww bby. lemme hug u._

 _one more from chiz angle. then short epilogue. hopefully._

 _sorry 4 short chapters. i wanna die._

 _I think chiz is one of my fav chars lol._

 _Im kinda a bitch, too._


	6. Crybaby

_Devilmom crybby_

 _Reeee._

 _yag pls get ur sht together. i luv u._

* * *

 _Did it work?_

Chizuru approached the crumpled form warily. The room was dark. Dim light filtered through the bedroom blinds. She could make out a blanket wrapped around the figure's leg. The entire room was dusted in feathers. It was early in the morning and the city had not yet risen. There was an eerie drone in the air.

A few moments ago, Chizuru Kagura had materialized in a small, sparsely decorated living room. She wasn't very happy. She hated teleportation more than anything and was feeling sick. She was planning to seal Orochi away, then giving Iori an earful for troubling her. _Threatening to commit suicide… childish._

But something changed in her when she saw him writhing on the carpet, teeth chattering and groaning in pain. The brat had always been incredibly proud. He was strong and violent, and he knew he could do and say whatever he wished. He became known for his constant death threats. He made them without repercussions and used the unique privilege liberally. Nobody could threaten Iori Yagami - and Iori Yagami threatened everyone. That was just who he was.

It was so strange seeing him weeping on the floor at the mercy of his own demons. Desperate for help, and hopeless. His misery had struck a chord with her. She didn't know why. Perhaps because it was her duty to struggle against Orochi as well. She wasn't sure... The only thing she felt for the man at that moment was a deep empathy. She wanted to comfort him. It was so unlike her.

She quickly sealed the demon, then slowly approached the now motionless body on the floor.

"Yagami?"

The moment she finished the seal, Iori froze. He stopped moaning, had he stopped breathing? He was turned away from her, the muscles in his back stood taut and glistened with sweat. They looked to be straining painfully, as if supporting an enormous weight.

"Yagami!?"

Chizuru stepped gingerly into the blanket on the floor. She felt her heel sink into the cloth, then into the thick carpet beneath. She kneeled next to him and rolled him over, leaning him against her knees. She caught sight of his face and her heart dropped in sadness.

 _Ah… you poor thing._

Iori's eyes were shut tight. Tears streamed down from across his face. His long red bangs were plastered everywhere and were soaked in tears and sweat. A thin trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. His brow was furrowed and his breath came in short rasps.

 _Poor, poor thing._

With a grunt, she hauled him into the bed. He was limp and heavy in her arms. She lay his head in her lap and brushed the hair from his eyes. He curled up around her and pressed his face into her blazer, soaking it through. He had begun sobbing harder, his breath catching in his throat as he wept. It wasn't like before though - it didn't have that note of distress in it. It sounded like…

 _Relief._

Chizuru smiled and wiped the tears from his face as he clung her. He had visibly relaxed. His shoulders shook gently as he cried. She hardly noticed he was ruining her expensive suit, in fact, she hardly noticed anything at all. She was fully preoccupied with the man that leaned heavily on her, and was sobbing into her shirt. She stroked his hair and crooned over him.

"Shh… Don't cry. Don't cry. It's over now… It's over... "

* * *

It took a while for Iori to find his bearings and crawl off of her. She didn't mind too much though. It had been nice, in a strange sort of way. She couldn't pin the feeling down.

Now he was sitting next to her at the edge of the bed. He looked guilty and kept casting sidelong glances at her. He thanked her for the third time, and awkwardly offered to pay for her suit for the fourth. She kept refusing. He fidgeted. She asked if he wanted to her leave. He shook his head violently.

 _Brat…_

She chuckled to herself. He was behaving like a toddler. She knew he guarded his secrets jealousy. It was very likely nobody had ever seen him like _that_ before. Today she had borne witness to something very private… but it was getting late.

"Yagami… I'm tired. Will you let me go?"

He looked at her briefly before averting his eyes and nodding. He stared at the floor as she walked past. It was about time she got home. She had spent half a hour here, and she wanted her glass of wine and Debussy. _What time is it in Japan… we're… greenwich -5 here… so-_

"Kagura."

 _Hm?_

She turned. The voice was suddenly authoritative. Iori was staring at her. His eyes were intense. He had pulled himself together quite nicely. His normal demeanor had mostly grown back. His voice had regained that signature, underlying growl. She could hardly imagine he was the same person who was sobbing into the carpet ten minutes ago. She frowned. Was he going to threaten her? He _was_ insane…

"If you ever need something."

Chizuru blinked at him.

"Anything at all."

 _Ah…_

She chuckled, then walked back over to him. He stared up at her, and, after a moment, turned to look away. He was very clearly embarrassed. Chizuru wanted to just _pinch_ him. Her voice was jovial.

"You little brat!" He looked up at her, worried until he caught sight of her smile. He didn't know what to make of it and stared at her, confused. She spoke gently to him.

"You don't need to give me anything… Just don't ever try that again. Understood?"

He looked down at his feet and nodded, then flinched as she placed a hand on his cheek. He seemed torn for a moment, then closed his eyes and leaned against her palm.

"When you're in trouble, call me."

He opened his eyes to look at her.

"And when I'm in trouble, I'll rely on you. Alright?"

A moment of silence.

"Yeah...That's alright."

"Good."

And she pinched him.

He yelped.

Then she disappeared.

* * *

 _kek._

 _almost done with this sht._


	7. Epilogue: Hellhound

_Wanna rent my dog?_

* * *

"I'd like to borrow your hound… there's an offensive taking place on the southern theatre and the troops we have stationed there aren't enough. I need a clean wipe. A sweep, if you will."

* _Where is this?*_

"Ivory coast."

 _*Kagura Enterprises has neither holdings, nor affiliations with the Ivory coast. I have no interest in the stability of the region… surely you aren't relying on my goodwill. The risk is too high.*_

"Four million."

 _*He costs much more than that. Come now, Heidern. We're old friends, are we not? Don't be so cheap with me.*_

"Ten."

 _*I said don't be cheap.*_

Commander Heidern closed his single eye and exhaled sharply. The dry desert wind whipped against his uniform. He was standing in an open-faced tent, observing the battlelines.

There were enemies all around. The Ikari troops had fallen prey to a pincer movement. Normally, this wasn't much of a problem. Heidern's troops were privy to some of the world's most advanced technology. Drones, smart-bombs, a ridiculous information network... Local governments couldn't hope to stand against their mercenary force.

But today, Heidern wasn't battling a local army. He was battling a technologically superior enemy. The African NESTS cartels had formed a coalition to take him down. They numbered nearly twenty-thousand - all armed to the teeth with strange and terrifyingly deadly weaponry.

The Ikari troops were trapped, outnumbered and outgunned. They needed a miracle to survive- let alone win.

So Heidern was going to purchase a miracle. A fiery one.

"NESTS… we have a cache of their experimental data. 10 GB."

 _*If it's old, I don't want it.*_

"Four months."

* _Topic?_ *

"Cancer… Endocrine."

 _*Hmmm... no. It's old. Don't throw your garbage at me, Commander. It's rude.*_

Heidern gritted his teeth. A Jeep, filled with wounded soldiers had just come back to base. Their wails rang in his ears.

"20 GB. 2 months. Regrowth of limbs."

 _*Regro-... Don't lie to me. Any successes?*_

"Yes. 4%."

 _*... give me both data sets and the 10 million. I'll have him there by nightfall. Deal?*_

Heidern sighed heavily.

"Deal."

* * *

He arrived four hours later in a 'Kagura Enterprises' helicopter. The aircraft had evidently been shot at. There were splatters of dark lead all over the Helicopter's hull. Bright purple flames had melted down bullets and missiles before they could cause any damage. As it approched it shone like a beacon in the dusky desert sky.

For Ikari, it was a herald of victory.

To the enemie-... Chizuru Kagura's enemies, it was the bitter star of death.

Heidern watched the flaming helicopter land. It melted deep grooves in the runway's asphalt. The Ikari troops had gathered around to witness the strange sight. When the aircraft finally touched the ground, the fire extinguished and the door was thrown open with a bang.

Iori Yagami hopped out, caught sight of the commander and stalked up to him. He was dressed inappropriately - as usual. It seemed he had decided to wear his concert clothes into the warzone. Additionally, he was still wearing some stage makeup. Chizuru had pulled him out of tour.

He was evidently none too happy with the situation. He didn't seem phased in the least by the bullet that whizzed past him. A sniper hiding in the dunes flared up and screamed as he disintegrated into white ash. Iori fixed his glare back on the IKARI commander and began yelling.

"Tell me which of these fuckers tried to assassinate Kagura! I'll roast them alive... And hurry! I need to get back to Sydney by tomorrow morning."

* * *

 _Expensive fiya boye_

 _If I could make that much money petting someone's hair, I'd be petting hair all day._

 _poor heidern, stuck between a rock and iluminatti-mom._

 _If Yag just stopped to ask a few questions ... come on man. ur so braindead. ohwell. at least leona likes you._

 _Chiz is the best. kek._

* * *

FINAL NOTES:

Something to chew on. This story was supposed to be only be superficially sweet. The true purpose was to to explain the following lines from 'The Mastermind':

 _"Kusanagi won't kill for me. But Iori Yagami will. That boy will do whatever I tell him. Do you remember when he threatened to blow up your house? It's something he is more than capable of... he isn't very imaginative you know. Most of his threats are things he's done before. He doesn't need bombs, he doesn't even need to get close. A glance is all it takes- a line of sight, then- " Chizuru snapped her fingers. "Bang, your precious Terry Bogard disappears without a trace."_

 _"Iori Yagami never had a mother. I've stepped into that role. He does whatever I tell him and he doesn't ask questions. He's been extremely helpful."_

lol u thought Chiz was nice? She just slipped up, that's all. Sometimes you mess up and your humanity shows a bit, but it did her some good. Now she's got a personal hellhound. good for her.

Bitch


End file.
